Apparatus and process for uncoiling



June 9, 1936. w. H. HOFER Re. 20,000 APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR UNGOILINGCOILED. SHEETMETAL Oriszinal Filed Dec. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 X a Il 25 Fxqz INVENTOR by BY ATTORNEY 9, 1936. HOFER Re. 20,000

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR UNCOILING COILED SHEET METAL Original FiledDec. 10, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v WMQMW W ATTORNEY Reissued June9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS AND ,PBOCESS FOR UNCOILINGCOILE'D SHEET METAL William H. Hofer, Middletown. Ohio, assignor to TheAmerican Bolling Mill Company, Middletown, Ohio, a corporation of OhioOriginal No. 2,020,889, dated-November 12, 1935,

Serlal- No. 846,660, December 10, 1932.

Application for reissue March 10, 1936, Serial No.

The general method heretofore practiced for uncoiling coils of sheetmetal has comprised the placing of the 'coil in a cradle of idlerrollers, engaging the end of the metal andpulling the metal away fromthe coil substantially in a tangential manner, the coil being rotated inits cradle by the pull of the metal as it is being withdrawn. Suchapparatus and method hasbeen productive of the difilculty known ascoiler breaks. Coil breaks are changes in the physical characteristicsof the metal produced by a sharp bend therein. While the bend itself maybe removed by subsequent roller leveling, the physical condition broughtabout by this excessive working of the metal persists in the piecethrough subsequent operations, such as cold rolling and the like, and

has, in the past, been a major source'of rejections.

It is an object of my invention to provide a decoiling apparatus whichwill not be productive of coiler breaks, and in which the metal may bedecoiled smoothly'and evenly. In the prior art practices which I havedescribed, coiler breaks occur either through the tendency of the 'heavymetal in the coil to resist the decoiling operation whereby the metal issharply bent at ornear the coil from a tangential position, or theyoccur because at times the coil tends to turn more rapidly than themetal is withdrawn therefrom, which causes a sharp bending of the metalat the pinch oils or intermediate the pinch rolls and the coil. In thepractice of my invention, I provide means whereby theturningof the coilis regulated and controlled so that the metal may be withdrawntangentially therefrom in an even .manner.

Hitherto also, due to the irregularity of the with these disadvantagesand to provide a mechanism in which the coil may be unwound evenly andin such a way that the housings need not be so greatly interspaced.In'the practice of my invention I have found thatif a coil is t-rued andthen guided in such a way that themetal enters the rolls essentially ina direction perpendicular to their axes, the weaving of the metal in therolls 9 Claims. (017242-78) can greatly-minimized, and the housings canbe much more closely interspaced, with a consequent saving in equipment.These and other objects of my invention which will be set forthhereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon readingthese speciflcations, I accomplish by that certain construction andarrangement of ,parts of which I shall now describe an exemplaryembodiment. Reference is made to the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the entering side of my decoilingapparatus. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the apparatus taken alongthe lines 2, 2 of Fig. 1.

. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through my device.

,Fig. 4 is a partially diagrammatic end elevation.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention, I provide a cradle for themetal coil, and I drive this cradle in such a way as to control themovements 0 of the coil. As I have hereinabove explained, the

coil which'is left free to rotate out of timed relationshlp with thewithdrawal of the metal, will tend to produce coiler breaks by producingsharp bends in the metal. In withdrawing the metal substantiallytangentially from the coil, if the 'of my invention is the provision ofside guiding members located adjacent the cradle, which serve to guidethe coil as the metal is being withdrawn therefrom, and which also maybe operative to push into position any telescoped portions of the coil,before or during the decoiling operation.

In the several figures I have shown a framework, indicated generally atI, which supports the various mechanism of the .decoiler, indicatedgenerally at 2. A pair of rolls 3 and l serve to support the coiler, andare journaled in bearings! 5', G and B. Shafts on the rolls projectthrough these bearings, and are indicated at land I. They bear keyedsprocket wheels 9 and III, which may be connected by a chain I I so thatthe concur -i wheel 7 l2 keyed on the shaft 8 and-connected by 55 rolls,as will hereinafter be described. The turn 3 ing of the pinch rolls,which is the agency for withdrawing the metal, will therefore obviouslybe in timed relationship to the rotation of the Qrolls 3 and I whichform the bottom part of my cradle.

Adjacent the rolls, a screw l6, having right and left hand threads, isrotatively mounted upon the framework I below the level of the rolls.Another" by a chain 34. The screw l1 bears a handwheel 2|, wherebyboth-of the screws may be concurrently rotated.

Two coil guides 22 and 23, essentially vertically dispom ride on the twoscrews l6 and [1. They are provided with shoes 24, 2'4, 25, and'25',which engage the threads of the screws. A rotation of the handwheel 2|in either direction willserve to bring the guide members 22 and 23closer together or separate them.v

- 0n the main housings I mount the pinch rolls l5 and I5, as shown. Infront of the lower pinch roll. there is a stripper guide 29 whichserves.

.tolead the metal into the pinch between the rolls. Below the pinchrolls are rolls 26 and 21, freely Journaled for rotation. These rolls'are metal is withdrawn therefrom. Behind the pinch rolls -l'. have shownsets of leveling rolls, indicated at 32, journ aled in the housing 'theupper set,

as is the'usual practice, being mounted in a sliding bearing.

Fig. 3.show'sa coil of metal 3| at the start of the decoilingoperation.- Ordinarily such a coil will be delivered to my device bymeans of a roller conveyor or the like, not shown, but e'xt'ending tothe right of the rolls 3 and 4 in Fig. 3. In operation the guides 22 and23 are drawn apart by a, rotation of the handwheelZl, and a coil 3| isdelivered by the conveyor, or otherwise, until it rests upon the rolls 3and I. By a rotation of the handwheel 2|, the guides 22 and 23 arebrought together so that they will true up the coil, squeeze togetherany telescoping portions thereof, and center the coil with respect tothe decoiling device; .Since these guides are operated by'screws, theyare capable of exerting considerable force upon the coil. When the coilhas been trued and positioned, the pressure of the guides thereagainst'is released somewhat, but

the guides are left in such a posltion'that the coil cannot run out ofcenter. J

The coil 3| is then rotated so that the projectpinch rolls l5 and l5.This may be done by hand, but ordinarily proper feeding will be acwiththe pinch rolls; the metal will be withdrawn 2 complished in theoperation of the machine. If the end of the coil hugs the coil, itwillfusually be bent up slightly beforethe coil is placed into position.Under these circumstances, the leading end of the coil will be guided bythe stripper guide 29 into the pinch between the rolls l5 and l5. Themachine may then be started. As the pinch rolls revolve, the metal iswithdrawn from the-coil; but since the cradle rolls 3 and 4 arepositively driven and are timed in their operation from the coil 3| m asmooth and even manner, and without the production of coil breaks. Asthe coil 3| revolves, the side guides 22 and 23 2o,ooo

' a chain I3 to a sprocket II on one of the pinch I rentlyto alter thepositions of said guiding means. back-up rolls, against which the coilturns as the I maintain it in a true position, so that the metal. entersthe rolls along a,line substantially perpendicular to their axes.

It will be understood that modifications may be'made in my inventionwithout departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a sheet metal decoiling device, a cradle, oppositely movableguiding means lpcatedso as to engage the ends of the coil mounted onsaid cradle, and means for bringing ,said guiding means toward eachother under pressure, whereby to correct a telescope in said coil.

2..In' a sheet metal decoiling device, housings, pinch rolls mounted insaid housings, a cradle disposed below said pinch rolls, upright membersspaced transversely of said cradle to serve as centering guides,and'means for concurrently moving said upright members under pressure soas to correct a telescope in a coil, center it, and maintain said coilin centered and telescoped condition.

3. In a sheet metal decoiling device, a framework, pinch rolls andcradle rolls mounted in said framework, screw devices mountedrespectively above and below said cradle rolls, and transversely spacedguiding means mounted on said screw means, said screw means adaptedconcur- 4;- In a sheet metal decoiling device, a framework, pinch rollsand cradle rolls mounted in said framework, screw means mountedessentially.

, means spaced transversely of said cradle so as to-engage the sideedges of a coil therein and with J the side edges of the part of thesheet passing from the coil, and means for concurrently moving saidguiding means toward or away from each other. i

6. In a sheet meal decoiling device, a cradle comprising spaced rollsfor supporting the coil of sheet metal, pinch rolls above the cradle towithdraw the sheet metal tangentially from the coil supported on thecradle rolls, and guides spaced transversely of the cradle and extendingfrom near the opposite, ends of the space between the cradle rolls tothe space horizontally opposite the pinch rolls, to preserve thealignment of the convolutions of the coil and of thetangentially'withdrawn portion of the metal from the coil to the pinchrolls.

7. In 'a sheet metal coiling device as set forth in claim 6, anoperative connection from the pinch rolls to the cradle rolls wherebythe outer convolution of the coil is driven, and the coil roouterconvolution equal to the surface travel of the tangentially withdrawnportion of the sheet metal between the pinch rolls.

.tated therewith, with the surface travel of said 8. In a sheet metaldecoiling device, a cradle. for a coil, pinch rolls located above saidcradle 76 and closely adiacent to a coil which may be mounted thereon,at least a portion of said cradle having a driving relationship withsaid coil, a driving connection between said pinch rolls and said cradleportion, said pinch rolls adapt-l ed to withdraw metal tangentially fromthe upper portion ofv said coil, and abutment means for said coillocated adjacent said pinch rolls and beneath said metal as it is beingwithdrawn from 10 said coil.

9. Aflprocess of decoiling metal stock which is subject to coilerbreaks, which process comprises withdrawing the metal irom a coil in asubstantially tangential direction by engaging the metal close to thecoil and rotating said coil in timed relationship with said withdrawal,andmaintaining' the position 'of said coil with respect to said positionof engagement during said withdrawal, so as to prevent sharp bending ofa the metal, which would produce coiler breaks.

. WILLIAM H. HOFER.

